Courage
by BuggyFiction
Summary: The world is a little bit topsy turvy, but who cares? Life is meant to be enjoyed to the fullest, and a little bit of crazy will do just the trick. Dark, funny and crazy.
1. Chapter 1

The first thing he did when Klaus released him from his slumber was to go to town. The compelled people Klaus had gifted him hadn't satiated him, and he was angry with his brother. Klaus called it an act of mercy to undagger him, but Kol wanted revenge. There wasn't a chance in hell that he was going to stay with his family. New Orleans, maybe, the witches here were powerful but other than that? Klaus could go to hell.

Kol was going to play nice, but he was going to get even. No, not even, he was going to kill him. Eventually.

But first, he needed to let loose. Mid-City would do. Loads of unfortunate souls who wouldn't be missed. It was still dark, he could smell the piss and alcohol in abundance and it sickened him, but that was alright, he was still adjusting to being out of the box again. There was no way that he was going to go back in it. He was going to kill Klaus, and he wouldn't be at his mercy ever again.

Still, there was still a chance that he'd be caught by his brothers, after all, it wasn't that far away from the French Quarter, but he figured the area was too diverse for his brothers to ever set foot in the area unless they had dirty dealings.

He stayed at the waterside where he could feed on homeless people, and a seemingly abandoned building got his attention. It was run down, old, likely there for hundreds of years, and he could feel the walls vibrate with activity inside. There were sobs, yelling, general sounds of excitement. He could smell the fear and anxiety, but also the excitement inside the building. Something was going on and he wanted a piece of the action.

It was an exclusive 'club', but nothing that a little of compulsion wouldn't fix. Once inside, there was a buzz of activity going on that he sort of expected but was still shocked to see. Well-dressed men were sitting in rows, looking at some sort of stage where someone was talking.

Where were the female sobs and cries coming from?

Kol quietly moved around, observed, listened, and, for some reason, he felt excited about this. In a sick, twisted way. And in a way that could benefit him, just for shits and giggles. He had stumbled upon an underground human trafficking ring, with the humans coming from poor houses or from sick bastards who actually bred people for money. It was morally wrong.

Slavery had been abolished for a long time now, even he knew that, but this was… sick and twisted, just like him, and it was quite arousing.

He just watched in fascination and once the event was over, he headed back home. He needed to get caught up with the times. This wasn't the world he was put to sleep in. Even he thought that what he had witnessed was sick and twisted, and that said a lot.

He'd always been quick to catch up, so he wasn't worried. By morning, he'd know everything that he needed to know, but even he couldn't imagine how the world had become… stupid.

No, the world was fucked up.

Thirty years ago, some scientists in a lab created a virus that killed over 40% of the world's population almost in an instant, and over the following years mostly the females. The humans were afraid that humanity was going to die out, especially because the virus could still linger in most of the women who didn't die of the virus and some of the men were carriers.

Every country had one government facility where women could go to out of their own free will, be royally taken care of and were impregnated with the sperm of high ranking officials and should their child be a female, they'd get a bonus and given the choice to stay on or to leave.

But what Kol had witnessed earlier that night wasn't officially sanctioned, was it? No, that had definitely been illegal. Then again, humans liked doing illegal things, especially if they could receive money from it. But to use women for that?

Maybe it were the hormones talking because he could really have a marathon session of meaningless sex, but since when were women treated as commodities and not with respect? Especially with the shortage of women - if he had to believe the articles he read on the internet - they should be treated like queens.

Kol decided to ask his brother all about this brand new world, and what he was doing to fix it.

"Since when do we care about trivial things such as that virus, Kol?" Klaus looked at his brother for a brief moment before focusing on buttering his toast. "It doesn't have anything to do with us."

"Doesn't it?" Kol shot at him. "Honestly! To have food, we need humans on this earth, mainly women who can bare children and continue to produce our cycle of food! Not to mention for all of the other carnal reasons why someone would want to have a woman by their side."

Klaus looked at his brother, curiously. It was unlike him to care about issues like these. "We also survived through the plague."

"This is worse, Nik," Kol shot at him. "I've done my research on that portable library of yours."

"That's a laptop."

"If you say so."

"Shouldn't you be merry and eat your way through a home or something? Focus on having fun? Enjoy the good music New Orleans offers you?"

"Nik, come on," Kol rolled his eyes at him. "Last night I went to do my usual after you decided to let me out of my box. You know, wanting to kill you - again, for boxing me, cursing you to hell, feed in mid-city before I went to the docks. Still wanting to kill you."

"Your wish to kill me is an old one, brother. You'll never succeed," Klaus said amused. "But I always appreciate your efforts, they amuse me."

"Glad you're amused," he mockingly bowed. "Some abandoned building drew me in, I believed I could have some more fun there, but all I was… I don't know what I felt Nik, either like it was the best day ever or whether or not I should be disgusted."

Klaus took a bite off his toast and nodded. "I know what you're talking about. But why should it matter? I've lived for a thousand years, the humans have evil in their hearts and minds no matter what is going on in the world. Slavery was abolished in 1865 by law, but that didn't stop people from continuing their business. Some got caught, others didn't. We had a prohibition law from 1920 to 1933, but that didn't stop people from making moonshine. While the majority of humans are ordinary, you've got those who see a gap in the market and go for it."

"And?"

He took a sip of his tea. "I have that area covered," Klaus eventually said. "You just go and have fun like you normally would."

"You have it covered? Seriously, Nik? You have it covered? I don't think you do because they're still in business!"

"Yes, because they're the only one in New Orleans. I already closed down the others, brother. Relocated some of the more vulnerable women to a safe haven created by our sister, because like you, she threw a fit. How could we idly stand by while the world is trying so hard to keep itself together?" Klaus replied. "Brother, you just spent over a hundred years in your box. Go explore, have some fun, commune with your beloved witches."

Kol was surprised to hear this. Well, not really, his sister always had an iron will and everyone would bend over backwards for her. Women's rights were always Rebekah's Achilles-heel. "You and Rebekah are really helping out?"

"Of course! Your sister wouldn't let me hear the end of it, and you know how much I like to indulge our sister. I've got what I wanted with my curse being broken, and now I'm going to give her what she wants."

He narrowed his eyes on his brother. "Just how are you helping those women? I smelled nothing but fear and anxiety out there and in the building."

"I have someone on the inside, Kol. They know what they're doing, don't you worry. Now, why won't you let this rest, and find something else to get your mind busy with. This century has some great entertainment you'd like, such as mind numbing videogames. Or explore the city. You've been away a long long time, no need for you to worry about a potential food shortage."

"Of course," Kol relented as he finally grabbed a pastry to have a snack. Yeah, right. He wasn't going to let this go, while his brother always knew best, something simply didn't feel right about the building, about the people in it. He could always tell if one of his brothers were involved in businesses, either by covering things up or participating in it, and this felt off. Chaotic. Out of control. He wasn't sure if Nik had everything under control as he claimed; after all, allegiances could change.

He was going to be out in New Orleans all day, and then he was going to return that night.

Movies were no longer silent, or black and white, and they were for sale on shiny discs in stores. There were discs with music for sale as well, but as the nice boy at the electronic told him, music could be bought and put on devices, and Kol compelled him to do just that; the best music from the last 100 years, and instructions on how to use the device as well.

Kol listened to the music while he observed the differences, learned new things - he had the electronic devices figured out quite quickly. The more that changed over the years, the more things stayed the same.

People were hanging out in the streets in the Quarter. Alcohol richly flowing, junkies, people laughing and dancing, just having a good ol' time. But no unattended females. No prostitutes, no witches. Females were on the streets, but accompanied by a male chaperon. Their husband or their boyfriend. It was easy to spot the rich women who had one or two bodyguards.

He felt for them, he truly did. It made him glad that his sister Rebekah was a vampire, bratty, and able to fight people off, because she would never allow someone to chaperon her. Which was likely why Elijah was with her, being the overbearing big brother that he was.

What had changed was Nik. Usually Kol would only be let out of his box when Nik was bored or needed him to kill people, and he'd usually get to hear that fresh out of the box. But right now, Nik was telling him to go and have fun. Explore.

Something wasn't right.

While he was happy to be out, being stuck in a box was horrible, he could still hear and feel movement, something wasn't right. Nik wasn't just nice. Not like that.

Kol ran back to the compound in search of his brother, passing people who were glued to their phones and didn't look they were going on the streets. It was an accident waiting to happen. "Nik!"

"Back already?" Klaus replied as he leaned over the wrought-iron railing. "What's the matter?"

"Why did you unbox me? Not that I don't appreciate it, but why did you?"

He smiled then. "A favor to a friend."

"Who?"

"Ah, that would be telling," he smiled at his brother. "But rest assured, I promised that person I wouldn't box you again."

"Who, Nik? Who's your friend? The one who you have working at that building?" Kol's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Oh, they're not my friend, brother. Well, not exactly. More of a… means to an end, I suppose. A surprise," Klaus replied as he made his way down the stairs. "But that's all I'm going to say about them. They will reveal themselves to you when they're willing."

"So you let me out of my box to annoy me," Kol nodded and sighed. "Well, that's just grand, Nik. Can't you just tell me?"

"No," Klaus sighed and shook his head as he walked towards the alcohol table. "They truly are a force to be reckoned with and I do not wish to be on their bad side. They already made my life complicated once, do not want it to happen again."

"Who are they?"

"When the time is right," he reminded him. Until then, you have to entertain yourself," Klaus took a sip of his bourbon. "How was the city? What do you think of this century?"

"Everyone is on their phones, they don't see where they're going. I'd love to drive a car, though. They look like they can go really fast," Kol poured himself a drink. "As far as unaccompanied women, I suppose nothing's changed. They still have chaperons. Or bodyguards. How are the brothels, brother? Filled with willing women or are they bought and sold, too?"

"Some," Klaus took a sip from his glass. "Debauché is the place to go. Their ladies are clean, healthy and willing. They want to be there. They were born free and are well taken care of. Would you like me to ring ahead and tell Ann to expect you?" Klaus took his phone out and started to dial Ann's number. "My treat. For having let you be boxed for so long."

Kol downed his glass in one go and nodded. "Sure, why not?" There'd be enough time to have some fun before he'd go back to the abandoned building. "You have a madam on speed dial?"

"She's not a madam, Kol. Ann is under my protection and the girls who she houses are under hers. If you misbehave, I'll hear about it."

"But you won't box me for my indiscretions, you just told me."

"True. However, you will suffer the consequences nonetheless and I won't even have to lay a finger on you," Klaus said with a playful smile on his face. "You run along now, Debauché is on Dumaine. You can't miss it."


	2. Chapter 2

"Master please," she begged the only person who almost knew what she was going through. "Kill me. Or make them stop, please," she almost whispered as she was on her knees in front of Jasper Cullen.

"It's your duty to make them stop, darlin'," Jasper replied as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and made her look at him from her position on the floor. "Not mine. We bought you for this purpose only, you should feel honored."

"I am, master," she smiled brightly at him. "I am embarrassed to admit that I'm not my best today. I can't tune them out nor make them stop…" God, she was tired. She hadn't slept at all in the hen house and while she was there for making the girls feel at ease, she was shattered. She needed food. Rest.

"Today is a bad day to have a bad day," Jasper replied as he dug his fingers into her hair and pulled her to her feet and started to drag her off to the quiet room underneath the building. Her legs barely able to get her moving, her bare feet slipping on the concrete floor. "You have exactly two hours to get yourself focused. I'll get you something to eat and to drink. Edward and Alice aren't here tonight. I do really need you, especially for the wildlings. They'll be screaming like pigs without you."

"I know, I'm sorry," she let out a groan when she hit the floor after he tossed her into her quiet room. His quiet room. "I'm so sorry Master Jasper."

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I'll be back with food," he said as he slammed the door shut.

It was difficult to conceal who she was for her masters. _Masters_. Her abilities didn't quite work on vampires, at least not for a long time and she was just at their mercy as the rest of the girls were in the hen house. She was merely on an elevated level, as she belonged to the Masters. She was still treated the same, with the rations of food, and the terrible dress sense, the abuse, but that didn't mean that she could get the girls a good home with her gifts without her masters knowing. And it worked. It's what she was here for.

And popular to contrary belief, she was here willingly. She had Klaus compel the Cullens that they had bought her from her previous owners. And because of her status as the owner's pet, she had access to the quiet room; a room for Jasper to retreat to as he was able to influence other people's emotions, their mental state. And up until she arrived there, he'd been on his own with that.

But she wasn't here to help the Cullens. No, she was there to help the girls get sold into good homes. Not with morons who would take advantage of them, to hurt them. Sure, she couldn't take away all the hurt, because that was the state of the world now, but she could make it easier on them.

Her Masters didn't feed off of her. Because of her 'condition', she was classified as 'broken' and 'impure', which was fantastic because she was anything but. It made her Masters appreciate her more by not asking for much. But the quiet room was nice.

She could recharge, and, because Edward and Alice weren't around today, relax a little and enjoy the food that Jasper was going to bring her. Jasper was going to bring her more food than she'd get on a day to day basis, to strengthen her up.

She laid down flat on her back and closed her eyes as she stretched her limbs away from her body, feeling some bones crack. Taking a deep breath she reveled in the silence for a moment before the door swung open and Jasper put a plate down. She could feel his interest in her. Jasper was always interested. Hungry. She knew that he was going to have her later, and she didn't mind. She preferred Jasper over Edward.

"Oh," she rolled around onto her stomach and hungrily eyed her food. Half a chicken, some boiled eggs and a bowl of yogurt with cereal. Protein. She'd hoped there would have been some vegetables at least, but it was better than the crap they gave the girls on a daily basis. Licking her lips, she looked up to her master through her lashes. "Thank you for this food, Master," she said in a hushed voice. "I don't deserve this."

"No, but you need it," Jasper replied before taking a few steps back. "Two hours, I'll be back," he said as he closed the door and she was alone in a dark room with her food.

~o.O.o~

_Relax. Everything is going to be alright. You don__'t have to be fearful of what's going to happen, let it happen. Your worst nightmare was being taken, you're going to be real good taken care of._

She kept repeating that to the girls who were currently standing close to her, they were about to be sold off to the highest bidder and she was going to be damn sure that they were going to be safe. She was scanning the crowd and had found a few potential men for the girls, and then there was Kol.

Ah fuck.

_Leave. Leave. Leave. _

_That won__'t work on me, get out of my bloody head!_

She blinked as she was thrown out of his head and quickly jumped into someone else's head to buy the first girl. A good man, rich, big house and he was only looking for someone to be his wife. A real romantic, he was carrying a bundle of flowers, too.

She saw that Kol was scanning the crowd in the hope of seeing whomever had spoken to him inside his mind, and that's what she liked about being a woman. She was invisible, basically. And, she was pretty sure Kol wouldn't remember her. Why would he? She wasn't anyone important back then, and she wasn't one now. Just meat.

But fuck, with Kol out of his box, did that mean that she was done? Was that a sign from Klaus saying that she was done for now? Could it be? While she could leave when she wanted - if fully fed and strong - but she had told Klaus that if he was willing to let her go, that he should free Kol from his slumber so that Kol could come and get her.

And there he was.

Handsome as ever.

On a bad day, she could still feel his hand burst through her chest cavity and ripping out her heart. Which was her own doing, she didn't want to leave this Earth and picked a fight with the nearest vampire she could find so she could take his blood and taint herself.

But, on a good day, she remembered how Kol simply took what he wanted, no matter if it was forbidden for one of them. His hands on her skin, his manhood impaling her and almost splitting her apart…

Of course, since then she had several other men inside of her, especially in the last thirty years or so after the virus hit. Self preservation. But she never enjoyed it.

She yelped when Jasper grabbed her by the hair and forced her on her knees. "What are you doing, silly little girl?" He hissed in her ear. "You're mine. Who are you lusting after?"

She was strong enough to break something off of Jasper, but if she'd do anything to him, both Emmett and Rosalie would be on her in seconds and she'd break her cover. Her ruse. She wasn't strong enough to fight off all of the vampires in the building, she only took a little to survive, not to fight an entire army. "You, master, you. Always you," she quickly said. "I was thinking about the other night, master, when you—" She winced when he slapped her and held on to her hair, almost snapping her neck with the sheer force of it.

She couldn't die with her neck snapped, but it would sure as hell reveal that she wasn't an ordinary human. It was a good thing that she could multitask. While the first girl was sold off safely, she was now working to get someone else she'd liked to bid high for the next one. But fuck, that hurt. She didn't bruise, of course she didn't, that was one thing she couldn't hide, but still, the vampires were clueless.

"Is this how you repay me for my kindness two hours ago?"

"N-no, master, please."

"I think we should show these men what they can have when they buy one of the girls, what do you think?"

Most of the eyes in the room were already on them and she knew what was going to happen next as he usually used her to show men what they could get. But for some reason, now that Kol was there, watching, she felt extremely embarrassed and vulnerable. It was as if she could feel his eyes on her, burning her.

As Jasper shoved her towards the front of the stage they were all on, she was going to make one last effort to make Kol leave.

_You have to leave._

_Get out of my head!_

_Leave!_

Originals were so difficult to push away mentally, especially in her current state.

_Make me!_

Oh, that sounded so good. Yes, she wanted to make him. Like she had made him kill her all those years ago. Instead, Jasper was going to make a spectacle out of her. Perhaps it was fortunate that Kol still hadn't recognized her.

"Gentlemen! Welcome! Now, I understand that some of you are new to these parts, and wouldn't it be nice to show you what you could do to one of our girls? They're all healthy, willing and docile. They're the cutest lil' peaches, if you tell me!" Jasper spread joy and happiness with his thoughts. She could feel his asshole was all souped up and he could take on the entire building if he wanted to.

She focused on keeping the girls calm now that the bidding had temporarily stopped. Everyone was looking at Jasper and the heap of girl at his feet. She could hear their thoughts. Everyone's thoughts. The men who she'd picked out of the girls that night were looking too. Strangely aroused.

Men were so predictable.

But not Kol. He was curious. He was appalled by the whole idea of what the Cullens stood for - and what his brother kept in check in New Orleans, but he couldn't help but to be curious.

Oh, she was so lucky that Alice and Edward weren't here tonight. Edward would have immediately picked up on Kol's thoughts and he'd have Carlisle move them all, even without the real boss' permission. Then again, it was a possibility that Carlisle had been compelled by Klaus as not to leave, but she wasn't sure about it.

"You've got the protesters in the world who think that establishments such as these shouldn't exist. That women should be regulated, like they do in the government facilities across the globe. But seeing as their progress of injecting fresh blood into the world is so slow… And, on top of that, all those facilities put out are stuck up women who think that they're better than us. Why shouldn't they allow us to be here? We've got the pretty ladies, all willing and able, you can do whatever you want with them. Share them around, have children, or not, your choice. No rules attached!" Jasper announced before he reached down and pulled on her hair to make her kneel before him.

"This little lady is mine. Well, she belongs to my family but I work with her the most," he said as he cupped her chin and made her look at him and all she did was just smile at him, radiate pride and love. "She's a handful, and a tease. Earlier today she looked at me so sweetly, so trusting and a minute ago I caught her feeling for someone else. She assured me that it was in remembrance of what we did the other day, but… I think she needs to pay for it anyway. After all, we're working here tonight, aren't we, peaches?"

She nodded and was briefly distracted by a familiar touch in all that noise she was hearing. All those thoughts. Klaus. Klaus was here. What was Klaus doing here? He never came to check up on her, or his business. Oh, Klaus wasn't going to like the dirt in this place. The filth. The smells of sex, arousal and spent cum. Or the smell of fear. Tears. Hearing hearts beat faster.

Knowing what Jasper was going to do to her in front of Kol was one thing, but in front of Klaus? She now felt mortified.

_Take Kol and get out of here._

_I can__'t do that, little one. The Cullen boy looks like he's going to devour you and strip you bare in front of everyone. You tell him that I'm here and that I want to see him in his office. Right away. This evening is over, no one gets sold tonight._

"Master," she whispered, still looking at Jasper with nothing but admiration on her face. "Mr. Mikaelson is here and waiting for you in your office. He needs you to call off the sale tonight and kick everyone out."

"Are you lying to me?" he hissed.

"No, sir," she whispered and nodded towards his office where it was obvious that there was someone in there, walking around. "He's quite impatient, too. And you might want to ask Master Carlisle to come with you."

"Damnit!"


	3. Chapter 3

The patrons were herded out of the building, and she and the rest of the girls were escorted back to the hen house where a 'healthy' concoction of apple and lemon juice was waiting for them. Lemon always made her violently ill, and this meant that she wasn't able to drink it or drink from the girls for a while.

She sat down next to the door, her usual spot, and tried to tune everyone out. While the two hours away in the silent room had been great, and the food had been a great help, she needed a bit of blood to keep going completely. And now with the lemon juice in the room and in the bodies of the girls she was with, she was basically fucked.

Getting violently ill wasn't on her to-do list.

But she was hungry.

The voices of the girls in her head were so overwhelming that she couldn't even stretch her vampire hearing to hear what Klaus was saying to Jasper and Carlisle, even though the office was right around the corner.

Maybe she'd overdone things. Got too cocky.

Or maybe the Cullens got too greedy and overextended and that's why she felt as if she was being pulled in multiple directions. Maybe Klaus was now compelling Jasper and Carlisle to do better. Or kill them. Or whatever.

When she heard someone approach the hen house, she quickly got to her knees and took a deep breath. The footsteps didn't sound familiar, it could be Rosalie, she never came down to the hen house because she didn't want to be confronted by how her life could have been. Unfamiliar footsteps weren't a good thing; it could mean that there were intruders, or maybe lost patrons and she'd need to protect the girls.

The door opened, she didn't register the face of one being of the Cullens, so she managed to jump to her feet and push the intruder out of the hen house with her full weight and the element of surprise. Pinning the intruder against the wall. "Ah, so here's where they hide you ladies."

She looked up to see that the intruder was Kol. Letting go of him, she pulled the door to the hen house shut so that the girls couldn't leave. Emmett was just around the corner, she couldn't allow the girls to leave, fearing that he'd kill them. "They told you to leave, sir," she said as she looked at her feet. She could feel his emotions roll off of him, his curiosity still overruling the rest of his feelings.

She focused to look different to him, to mask her scent and not have it obvious that she was a vampire. Kol was an Original, so she wouldn't know if it quite hold up. Now that Klaus was here, Klaus could come down himself to get her out. Until then, she protected the girls. And herself. "This area is off limits."

"I know," Kol replied as he lifted her chin to look at him. "Are you Nik's inside woman?"

"Inside woman, sir? What?"

"You can speak freely," Kol said as he moved closer and whispered in her ear. "My brother is compelling the Cullens to start cleaning up this place before he allows them to continue to do whatever they do here. Ann's taking the girls. All of them. He just wanted me to get his inside woman out."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," she narrowed her eyes on him as she couldn't get an accurate read on him. There was still a lot of curiosity coming off him, maybe now mixed with disgust upon seeing and smelling her up close. He had put up walls in his mind that she couldn't get into. Kol smelled so good. So fresh. She could smell on him that he had walked by fresh cut grass that day. And that he had sex, but the fresh cut grass smell was better. She missed grass. "If you wish to simply steal me from my masters, sir, then you should do that, it's all you vampires do. Take."

"Oh, bloody hell, you're a nightmare," he opened the door to the hen house and pushed her inside. "Fine, stay here until Ann comes for the girls. I'll tell Nik to get you himself. I don't wish for you to come with me against your will."

She pushed him back and closed the door behind her again, holding up a finger to shut him up and she tried to find Klaus. With the door closed to the hen house, she could focus a bit better as the voices were more muffled. _Did you send him to get me?_

_Who?_

_Your brother._

_No, but do you want to leave? You didn__'t look too good._

_I want to leave._

_Your room is ready at the house._

She let out a sigh of relief. Her room. Her wonderful room, her quiet room with plants and a ladder to the roof where there was grass. Klaus treated her far too well by having given her her own room. She'd stayed in Mystic Falls in the woods when he was there, and close by before that, staying out of his business, but close enough for protection.

Once Klaus took back New Orleans, one of the first things he'd done was to have her room made so she wouldn't have to stay in the Bayou. Oh, she knew that he only indulged her because she was like him. A hybrid of sorts, and he didn't want to be lonely. But she was grateful for it nonetheless. They'd become great friends over the years.

Looking at Kol she sighed. "What gave it away?"

"What?"

"That I'm working with Klaus."

"The way you burst through that door to keep me out," Kol replied easily and shrugged. "You look tired and weak. You were manhandled by that oaf earlier. Even if you weren't, I'd still have taken you away from here because this place is a shithole."

She smiled at him. "I'd love to leave. Your brother has a room for me at the compound."

"Does he now?" Kol pulled off his jacket and put it over her shoulders. "Is that why I had to cut the grass on the roof with a pair of plastic scissors? Who puts grass on a roof?"

"It's great for insulation, you see it all the time these days, energy saving and nature nurturing buildings," she pulled the jacket closer and took a deep breath. He smelled so good and now his scent was going to be on her for the next couple of hours.

Kol eyed her carefully as they made their way to the exit. She was wearing dirty and torn linen clothes and was walking barefoot. "You're a vampire?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I'll be good walking on barefoot. It's not that far," she smiled then as she looked at him. "Maybe a snack along the way?"

"That sounds great," Kol replied. "But darling, before I take you out for a bite and take you home, I'd love to know your name as you know mine."

"I can't even remember if I ever told you my name," she mused as they kept on walking.

"We've met before?"

"Oh, yes. You ate through an entire building with your brother in 1821 and you found me in the Bayou, you were curious and we had amazing sex. I'd seen you around, you were so handsome - still are," she remembered fondly. "You then had a fight with me."

"I did?"

She nodded. "Don't worry, I picked the fight, because I wanted to be a vampire and no longer what I was. I ingested your blood when I drew blood with my pocket knife," she took a moment to pause and breathe in the New Orleans air. "It was so quick you didn't even notice it."

"I don't remember that fight at all."

"That's okay," she smiled at him. "My name is Bella."

"It's an honor to meet you, Bella. For my brother to work with someone else other than his siblings is quite rare."

"I didn't give him a choice," she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "But story time later. I'm hungry."

~o.O.o~

With her vampire side satiated, she was happy to continue to the compound with Kol, only to disappear into her room to scrub off the last year or so from her skin with hot boiling water. Bella felt a little drunk, a little high from all that blood but it was doing her so well. Every fibre of her body was on fire as it should be.

Not bothering to grab a towel to dry herself off, she headed to the roof to let the air dry her body as she laid in the grass, absorbing the sun, feeling the grass tickle her back. She rolled over to her stomach and pulled the bucket of soil towards her before she spread it all over her to recharge.

She spent hours rolling in the dirt and in the grass, butt naked, soaking up the sun, and only stopped when she heard Klaus call for her as food was served. Bella took a quick shower to rinse off the soil, got dressed and joined Klaus and Kol for dinner in the courtyard.

"You look refreshed," Klaus commented, but Bella could tell that he was angry with her. Or upset. Or both.

"I feel refreshed," Bella smiled at him as she scooped up heaps of the good food onto her plate and started eating. "Oh god," she moaned as she chewed on her food. "This is so good!"

Why could Kol feel that moan in his bones? Looking over to Nik, he saw that he experienced it as well. "Nik always has the best cooks."

"I know," Bella threw her head back as she swallowed and traced her neck with her hand, following her food down her trachea. "This is warm and it has spices and I can just taste everything right now."

"It'll take Bella a few days to adjust back to being who she is," Klaus said amused as he took a sip of his glass of blood. "I take it you two fed on your way over here?" When Bella nodded and slightly giggled, he continued. "She's high right now."

"I'm not high," she replied, shaking her head. "Just growing back into my own skin. I'm a gluttonous pig for the next few days and if you have a problem with that, you don't have to be here," she added as she took another spoonful of food, which was followed by another moan.

"Alright, little one, stop projecting your feelings please," Klaus let out a sigh as he could feel how good she was feeling right now. "Control yourself."

"You're not just a vampire, are you?" Kol asked Bella, who shook her head for an answer. "Because if you were, you'd be very powerful for a simple vampire."

"Why wouldn't I be very powerful for a simple vampire?" Bella retorted as she looked at him. "After all, you're a very strong vampire, why wouldn't I be one?"

"It doesn't work that way."

"Sure it does," Bella said simply. "I can feel your power, you're my sire. And I'm pretty sure you can feel mine too."

"That's because you're projecting, Bella," Klaus reminded her.

"No," Kol replied. "No, she's right. I could feel a change the moment I set foot into that building. I could feel her long before I heard her. Even weakened, I could feel her."

Bella smiled smugly as she looked at Klaus and took another bite off of her food. "Don't worry, you only feel it because I'm me. I'm sure that those from your sire lines don't feel the same way, they are merely extremely loyal and fearful of you."

"But you're not," Klaus stated.

"I'm not," Bella nodded as she took a sip of her milk. "Oh my god, Klaus, you spoil me!" This wasn't milk. This was fresh cream from a fresh milking of a cow, perhaps only an hour old! She dropped her fork and happily took the glass with two hands, to make sure she wouldn't spill a single drop of it. "Jersey cows are fantastic. Oh, I had to miss this!" She downed the glass in one go and then lovingly looked at Klaus. "Is there more?"

"There is, but you need to take it easy, little one. As you said, you haven't had cream in a while."

Bella licked her lips before she grabbed a bread roll and started to clean the glass with it, making sure she had everything out of the glass. Cream was like alcohol to her, and she could already feel it taking effect. She wanted too much, too fast. She knew this. Kol was looking at her like she was some sort of an alien. Letting out a giggle she continued her food. "I promised Kol story time."

"You're currently firing on all synapses, little one, do you think now is a good time?" Klaus asked her, a playful smile on his face. He loved seeing Bella like this. It was the last time that he was going to allow her to be on the inside of an organization like this. He was simply going to have to be more hands on with the Cullens and compel them more often. Someone like her shouldn't be caged, willingly or not.

"Sure, or he could wait a few days," a devious smile appeared on her face then. "Oh, he could wait a few days, definitely."

"What! No, I can't! You're obviously not merely a vampire, what in the bloody hell are you?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you really going to do this?" Klaus asked her as he watched her pour her blood into a glass that she'd give to Kol. "He already has issues with being around you and your scent, are you going to make it even harder?"

She cocked her head and smiled. "What part am I going to make harder?"

"Bella," Klaus warned her. "I know what your blood did to me, and I'm staying well clear of it."

"But you had fun, didn't you?" She countered and watched her wound heal up. "Come on, Klaus, I've dropped so many hints in the last few days and he doesn't get it."

"How about using your words, instead?"

"Ah, that would be telling," she said playfully before she almost danced her way to Kol's room. "Are you decent?" she asked as she knocked on the door. He knew he was, he was playing a video game that was quite noisy, and she was grateful that she had a room at the opposite side of the building because of it.

"Yes," she could hear through the door.

Opening the door, she saw him sit on the sofa with his controller in his hand, playing Call of Duty. "You haven't been out for a while, are you hungry? I got you some blood."

"Oh, great!" Kol paused the game and turned to greet her with a smile. "Are you going to play with me?"

"Oh, yes," she purred as she sat down next to him and handed him the glass of blood. "In so many ways than one," Bella ruffled his hair and took over the controller and kept playing as Kol greedily drank from the glass. "How is it?"

"This is delicious, where did that come from?"

Bella shrugged as she kept playing. "There's more where that came from though, but I suggest you do it in moderation, just like me and cream."

Kol let out a snort. "You did go a little bit crazy."

She shrugged again. "I once swung from a chandelier and danced on tables naked."

"What?" Kol laughed. "Seriously?"

Bella nodded as she paused the game, put the controller on the table and looked at him. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling alright, why?"

She took her phone out of her pocket and opened up her music programme and started to play some music. "How good of a dancer are you, Kol Mikaelson?" Bella asked teasingly as she got to her feet and pulled him off the couch, which made him stumble and then look at her in surprise. "What?" she giggled.

"You're blurry."

"Uhuh," she replied as she pulled him along to the open space in his room to the beat of the music. "What else?"

"The room is spinning… my coordination is…shot and… everything is so slow," he slurred his words as he looked at her in confusion. "Am I drunk?"

"You might be," Bella nodded and smiled at him. "How does that make you feel?"

"Whose blood was this?" He stumbled against her and she decided to have him sit down on the couch again.

"Mine."

"Yours?"

"Uhuh."

"What the hell are you?"

She shrugged then as he picked up the glass again and felt disappointment coming off of him upon finding it empty. "Have you ever heard of fairies?"

"Yes, fairytales."

"Werewolves, witches and vampires are tales too," she retorted as she watched him. So far, he was handling her blood better than Klaus had done. Then again, she was so good at masking that she was a vampire that Klaus thought she was human and he had tried to drain her and kill her. Needless to say, he learned his lesson, he was drunk for days and she had to look after him. "I'm a fairy. Before we met, I was destined to disappear into the fairy realm and I really didn't see why I should, after all, I was raised by humans and I felt mostly human."

"That's ridiculous!"

"I know! So, I decided that the only way that I wasn't going to be allowed there, is by tainting myself. I picked a fight with you, ingested some of your blood and because I hadn't been to the fairy realm yet, I could be killed easily," she ran her hand through his hair and smiled at him. "And here I am."

"But all magic gets lost when someone turns."

"That's correct, believe me, I was shocked to find out that I'm still very much part fairy and hear everyone's thoughts and that the earth makes me so incredibly happy…" Bella sighed happily as she thought fondly of her roof top at the compound. "Cream makes me feel drunk, I have a severe dislike to anything iron and silver, there are certain fruits that can make me violently ill… and I smell nice to vampires."

Kol smiled widely. "You do smell nice."

"I didn't give you that much of my blood, so the effects should wear off in about an hour or so," Bella helped him to lie down on the couch and covered him with a blanket. "Enjoy your little buzz, Kol." He looked adorable with his head all up in cloud nine, unfocused and just the goofiest grin on his face.

Bella wanted him so bad, but she wasn't going to be the one who was going to go after him. After all, she had a few screws loose in her head, she was tainted by others - while she was serving the higher purpose of helping girls get a good home in not an ideal situation, and perhaps she had misjudged the connection she and Kol had prior to picking a fight with him in 1821. 200 years was long enough to warp a person's memory into a favourable one.

She gently petted him on his head and was about to walk away when he grabbed her wrist. "I want you."

"No, you don't," she said sweetly. "You're drunk."

"I know. I know that I am, but I want you," he held on to her wrist as he turned around on the sofa and sat down on his knees to look at her. "You're so beautiful, flawless. You smell really nice and you have this weird sense of humor that I really like. I think you're incredibly courageous for doing what you have done for the women in this world and I want to take you away, far from here, to have fun with."

He was currently telling her everything she wanted to hear, so badly. But she couldn't act on his words. Not now. "Kol, you're drunk."

"Then I will tell you when I'm not!" He pulled her closer and put his arms around her waist. "I want to covet you. Worship you. I want you to be mine."

"And I will be," she softly said as she ruffled his hair with her free hand. "When you tell me this when you're sober. Have fun riding the waves of intoxication, Kol. You've earned this. You know where to find me if you remember all of this."

Bella managed to free herself from Kol's hold and left his room, only to be met with Klaus. "He's a clingy drunk," she pointed out.

"And why did you reject him?"

"Because he's drunk, obviously," Bella rolled her eyes at Klaus before going up to her room. She may have been putting her dignity on the line with what she had done for the last couple of years, off and on, but she truly cared for Kol. And she wasn't going to take advantage of him when he was incapacitated. She'd still need to see if he remembered everything she'd told him about her, and what he told her about his feelings for her.

She still had morals, and she didn't care what everybody else thought of her.

The polka-dot plants in her room were looking a little sad, so she took them to the roof and re-potted them, giving them some love. She liked singing to her plants, and dig her fingers in their soil to make them feel better. Bella then focused on the rocking chair she was planning on decorating with some comfy moss and other plants with colours on them and the moss was taking well. Klaus had looked at her strangely when she said she wanted some things from the garden center, and from the Bayou as she dragged up a rocking chair that she had found in the basement of the compound.

Klaus didn't like going to the garden center and he had compelled another guy to do it for him.

Next time, she was going to take Kol to the garden center because the plants felt like they were stressed out, and they were still recovering. One of the pots had trace of Vervain, so she threw it off the roof, into the streets. If she wanted things to be done, she was going to have to do them herself.

Bella couldn't wait for her strawberries to grow, and her lavender.

She was being so girly. So unlike a vampire. But gardening and nature made her feel better, and more in tune with everything around her.

She wasn't crazy.

A couple of hours later, she heard some knocking on her door and Bella made her way down and opened the door, revealing Kol, looking as fresh as ever. "How's the head?" she greeted him.

"Surprisingly fine. I do not wish to go through that again."

"Ah, you little baby. You should have seen Klaus! He drank everything!" Bella grinned as she stepped aside to let him into her room. "It's all about moderation… although I have the same thing with cream. I love it, get drunk off of it and I always want more, but you have to know your limits."

"And what do I know what my limits are?"

Bella shrugged. "You had a great buzz, yeah?"

"Yes."

"Then that's enough. You can have it whenever you want, it's right here in my veins," she laughed as she sat down in her comfortable chair.

"So you're a fairy."

Bella nodded.

"How does that work?"

"I dunno, it just does. It's not like I asked for it, I merely wanted an excuse not to go to the fairy realm," Bella replied as she pulled open a drawer and took out a bowl of candy that she set down on the table.

"That is so cool! Do you have any magic left in you at all, apart from the telepathy?"

She smiled as she absorbed a little of light and created a ball of light in her hand before throwing it in the bowl of candy which subsequently exploded. "I never use it though, biting is much more efficient, but it can come in quite handy. Other than that, no magic, so that dream of yours of helping another witch is not for me."

"I don't have— Bella, don't read my mind."

"I try not to! But you're so loud! And you're horny! Why are you horny?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you forgot to put on some clothes and you're hot?"

"And?"

"And, what?"

She got to her feet and grabbed one of her silk kimonos and put it on as she turned to him. "Me being naked and being hot doesn't really do much for me, Kol. I need more."

"But I already told you! I think you're funny, you're beautiful and flawless. You smell so incredibly nice and I want to worship you. I want you to be mine."

She eyed him curiously, poked around in his head a little now that he was sobered up, and he was telling the truth. In fact, his subconscious did remember her from back in the day and the crazy shit they got up to together, but he consciously didn't remember it that well. "Are you sure? Because I'm tainted."

"You're not tainted! Stop telling yourself that. You've done what you had to do to protect others, and I think that takes either courage or insanity and I don't think you're insane. I don't know anyone who would do the same."

And he was honest about it, too.

"And as much as I want you to be mine, I want to be yours, too," Kol added.

She smiled at him before jumping into his arms and started to kiss him. "Then that's a deal then," she eventually said. "I'm yours," Bella added before grinding her hips against him. "Now claim me, and you'd better mean it."

*The END*


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